Internal combustion engine



June 19, 1934.

A. J. MEYER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A e J/Vaycz' June 19, 1934. A. J. MEYER 1,963,172

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY Ande f. Ma /er:

Patented June 19, 1934 mesne assignments,

to Continental Aircraft Engine Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 7

17 Claims.

.10, those adapted for use with aircraft.

It is the object of my invention to facilitate the lubrication of an internal combustion engine by providing an improved means for storing and distributing the oil to the various engine parts to be lubricated.

Another object of my invention is to increase the efiiciency of a lubricating medium used in an internal combustion engine by providing means for more efficiently cooling and dis- 20 tributing the cooled lubricating medium.

A further object of my invention is to facilitate the manufacture and maintenance of an internal combustion engine by providing a unitary oil pump and oil cooler assembly that is adapted to be readily secured to the engine structure with a minimum of time and labor.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form which my invention may assume, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional 135. view thereof taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation of a fragmentary portion of one end of the engine structure with the unitary oil pump and cooler as- .40 sembled therewith, and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the pump drive taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The drawings illustrate my invention incorporated with a V-type of internal combustion engine for use with aircraft which is provided with two banks of cylinders having axes which extend at an angle to each other. This engine is constructed substantially similar to the engine disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No.

350. 409,967 filed November 26, 1929, in which a reservoir 11 is provided intermediate the two banks of cylinders and which extends longitudinally of the engine structure. The oil is admitted to said reservoir through the inlet pipe or con 15.5. duit 50, which may'be operatively connected 1930, Serial No. 444,001"

with a scavenging pump (not shown) which sucks the oil from the engine crankcase C. This res-. ervoir may or may not extend the full length of the engine, but is of sufiicient length to at least house a unitary oil pump and cooler assembly that is preferably disposed entirely within the reservoir. 1 i

The unitary oil pump and cooler assembly comprises a casing 12 preferably triangular in cross section and constructed of sheet metal. The casing is closed at the outer end by the plate 13 and is provided with one or moreopenings 14 in the inner end wall 15. The sheet metal casing 12 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the end plate 13, which is in turn bolted or otherwise secured to the end of the engine structure. The reservoir 11 is open at one-end to permit the casing 12 to be telescopically assembled therein. A pilot 16 is carried by the inner end of the casing, and is supported by a bracket 17 carried by the engine structure.

An oil cooling unit A is carried Within the casing 12 and comprises a pair of dividing walls 18 spaced longitudinally of the casing and which may be secured to the walls of the casing in any suitable manner. A plurality of open end tubes 19 connect the walls 18, the ends of said tubes being welded, soldered or otherwise secured to the walls but projected therethrough.- Thus the engine lubricant is permited to flowinto the interior of the casing 12 through the opening 14 and through the tubes 19 into a compartment 20 adja cent the outer end of the casing. The end plate 13 is provided with an opening 21 arranged to receive the body of the oil pump 22 having an annular flange 23 which may be secured by bolts or other suitable fastening devices to the end plate 13. The oil pump is provided with an intake port 24 communicating with a passage 25 in the end plate that is in turn open to the compartment 20. The pump outlet 26 communicates with a passage 27 in the end plate 13 and plate 28 secured thereto, said passage communicating with a passage 29 which serves as an oil or lubricant header, branch passages 30 communicating with the oil header for conducting the lubricant under pressure to the various engine parts to be lubricated.

The engine herein illustrated provides a pump drive that is operatively connected with the en-'- gine cam shaft. A cam shaft 31 carries a spiral worm gear 32, that meshes with the worm 33 keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 34. The other end of the shaft 34 carries a worm 35 that engages a worm gear 36 carried by the shaft 37 supported in a suitable bracket 38 carried by the engine structure. The shaft 37 is splined as at 39 and is adapted to be engaged by the internally splined inner end of the pump shaft 40. The cooler unit is provided with a tubular sleeve 41 extending longitudinally thereof through which the pump shaft 40 is extended. The pump can thus be veryreadily connected or disconnected with the shaft 3'7, the shaft 37 being pro vided with a tapered nose or pilot 42 which cooperates with the pilot 16 to guide the pump shaft onto the driving shaft 3'7.

The cooling medium is circulatedthrough a chamber B bounded by the spaced dividing walls 18 in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of oil or other lubricant that flows through the tubes 19. The cooling medium is introduced through the intake pipes or conduits 45 which stop just inside of the dividing wall 18 adjacent the outer end of the engine structure, while the outlet pipe or conduit 46 extends almost the entire length of the cooling unit and'stops just short of the'other dividing wall 18 most remote from the outer end of the engine structure. Thus the cooling medium flows through the cooling chamber in a general direction as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. the casing 12 may be very readily removed or assembled with respect to the engine structure since it is permanently secured to the end plate 13, that serves-to close "the open end of the reservoir. The-casing carries the oil cooling unit while the end plate supports the oil pump, the oil cooling unit being provided with means for guiding and supporting thetubular pump drive shaft 40, which in this case extends the entire length of the cas ing, projecting beyondthe inner end of the casing where it is detachably secured to the externally splined end of the driving shaft 37. Thus the whole assembly may be removed or assembled with respect to the engine structure as a unit, or if desirable the pump may be separately removed and assembled to the unitary oil pump and cooler assembly. Such a constructionprovides a more economical manufacture because of the quickness and ease with which such assembly can be made, Furthermore, my improved construction minimizes the number of coupling or unions, and, piping heretofore found necessary.

, Although'I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have'de'scribed in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains that various modifications and changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention orfrom the scope of th appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: V p

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, and a unitary oil cooler and oil pump assembly supportedwithin said oil reservoir, and pump driving means including a coupling adapt ed for ready detachment on removal of said assembly. i

' 2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a unitary'oiloooling and pump assembly consisting of an oil cooler located within said oil reservoir, and an oil pump having an intake communicating with said oil reservoir for extracting oil from said reservoir subsequent to its passage through said'oil cooler and force feeding the oil to theparts to be lubricated, and pump It will thus be noted that" the interior of said casing, an oil cooler carried by the'casing and located intermediate the inlet opening of the casing and the pump intake, and pump driving means extending externally of the casing and including a quickly detachable driving coupling.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a casing supported within said reservoir and supported by said engine structure, said casing provided with an inlet opening communicating with said reservoir, anoil pump supported by the casing and having an intake communicating with the interior of said casing, an'oil cooler carried by the casing and located intermediate the inlet opening of the casing and the pump intake, said oil "cooler comprising a plurality of tubes for conducting oil, means for. circulating a angle'to each other, saidengine structure being provided with an oil reservoir located intermediate the said banks of cylinders and extending longitudinally of the engine structure, and a unitary oil cooler and oil pump assembly'supported by said engine structure and disposed within said oil reservoir.

6. In an internal, combustion engine of the V- type, the combination of an engine structure having two banks'oi cylinders, the longitudinal axial planes of the banks of cylinders disposed at an angle to' each other, said engine structure being provided with an oil reservoir located intermediate the said banks of cylinders and extending longitudinally of the engine structure, and a unitary oil cooler andoil pump assembly secured to one end of the said engine structure and arranged to be disposed within saidoil reservoir.

'7. In an internal combustion engine of the V- type, the combination or" an engine structure having two banks of cylinders, the longitudinal axial planes of the banks of cylinders disposed at an angle to each other", said engine structurebeing provided with an oil reservoir located intermediate the said banks of cylinders and extending longitudinally of the engine structure, and a unitary oil cooler and pump assembly supported by said engine structure within said reservoir.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the V- type, the combination of an engine structure having two banks of cylinders, the longitudinal axial planes of the banks of cylinders disposed at an angle to each other, said engine structure being provided with an oil reservoir located intermediate the said banks of cylinders and extending 1ongitudinally of the engine structure and open at one end, anda unitary oil cooler and oil pump assembly supported by one end of said engine structure and extended through the open end of said reservoir and disposed therein.

9. In an internal combustion engine of the V- type comprising an engine structure provided with two sets of cylinders, the plane through the axes of one set of cylinders inclined with respect to a plane through the axes of the other set of cylinders, said engine structure provided with a closed chamber intermediate of said cylinders and extending longitudinally of the engine which is adapted to serve as a lubricant reservoir and which is provided with inlet and outlet openings, and means for circulating a cooling medium through said lubricant reservoir.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, and a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly removably secured to an externalwall of the engine structure and projected inwardly thereof into said oil reservoir, said assembly including a pump drive shaft and an associated driving coupling facilitating the ready removal of said assembly.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly supported in said reservoir and consisting of a casing, an oil pump and an oil cooler, said pump and oil cooler supported internally of said casing, and driving means for said pump extending longitudinally through said casing.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly supported in said reservoir and consisting of a casing, an oil pump and an oil cooler, said pump and oil cooler supported internally of said casing, said pump supported adjacent one end of the casing, driving means for said pump and including driving and driven elements located externally of said casing adjacent the other end thereof, and means connecting the pump with said driven element including a drive shaft and an associated quickly detachable driving coupling intermediate said shaft and driven element.

13. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly supported in said reservoir and consisting of a casing, an oil pump and an oil cooler, said pump and oil cooler supported internally of said casing, said pump supported adjacent one end of the casing, driving means for said pump and including driving and driven elements located externally of said casing adjacent the other end thereof, and a drive shaft extending longitudinally through said casing for connecting the pump with said driven element.

14. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly supported in said reservoir and consisting of a casing, an oil pump and an oil cooler, said pump and oil cooler supported internally of said casing, said pump supported adjacent one end of the casing, driving means for said pump and including driving and driven elements located externally of said casing adjacent the other end thereof, and a drive shaft extending longitudinally through said casing and oil cooler contained therein for connecting the pump with said driven element.

15. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, and a unitary oil cooling instrumentality and pump assembly removably secured to the engine structure and including a casing supported within said oil reservoir, said casing constructed to support said pump and oil cooling instrumentality internally thereof, and pump driving means including a drive shaft and an associated quickly detachable driving coupling.

16. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, and a unitary cooling and pump assembly removably secured to the engine structure and including a casing arranged for projection into said oil reservoir, said oil cooler supported internally of said casing, said pump supported internally of the casing at one end thereof and a pump drive shaft connected with said pump and supported in part by the other end of said casing, said shaft extending longitudinally through the casing.

17 In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine structure provided with an oil reservoir, and a unitary oil cooling and pump assembly removably secured to the engine structure and including a casing arranged for projection into said oil reservoir, said oil cooler supported internally of said casing, said pump supported internally of the casing at one end thereof and a pump drive shaft connected with said pump and supported in part by the other end of said casing, said shaft extending longitudinally through the casing, said pump and drive shaft removable as a unit from said casing.

ANDRE J. MEYER. 

